Light people: Nobel Laureate Prof. Eric Betzig

Super-resolution microscopy illuminated the hazy molecular world like a beacon, bringing significant changes to the fields of biology, optics and chemistry. Eric Betzig, who shared the 2014 Nobel Prize of Chemistry with Stefan Hell and William Moerner, is one of the inventors of this fantastic scientific tool. Working originally on near field optics, Dr. Betzig made a series of stunning achievements at Bell Labs before turning 35. Yet he quit, seemingly at the top of his game, to become a hands-on dad and joined the machinery business. Eventually, he missed science so much that he made a comeback and wowed everyone instantly with his work. He defies the conventional definition of “persistence” by demonstrating an alternative route to success. Plain-speaking and earnest, Dr. Betzig is sometimes honest to almost a fault, and always believes in doing practical things. He puts his heart and soul into everything he does, because he says he wants to truly live rather than simply pass through life. In science work, he is meticulous, yet he embraces risks and believes they can bring the best out of oneself. In life, he is a loving father who is always ready to take time from his busy research work to take his children to school or tennis lessons, and a caring teacher who never forgets to command the hard work of his postdocs. Please join us for a glimpse of the Nobel laureate Eric Betzig and his extraordinary life.